Teeth-regulator



(No Model.)-

M. A. KNAPP.

TEETH REGULATOR. No. 597,582. Patented Jan. 18, 1898.

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UNITED STATES Parent Orrrcn.

MILAND A. KNAPP, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

TEETH REGU LATOR.

' SEEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,582, datedJanuary 18, 1898.

Application filed June 1, 1897. Serial No. 638,836. (No model.)

To all tohom it may concern/.-

,Be it known that I, MILAN]; A. KNAPP, a

-- citizen of the United States, residing at Minna apolis, in the countyof Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Devices for Regulating Teeth; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to dentistry, and has for its object to provide anefiicient device for regulating or alining the teeth which shall at thesame time be simple in construct-ion, easy of application andmanipulation, capable of a wide range of use, and cause a minimum ofdiscomfort to the patient.

To these ends my invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in theclaims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, likenumerals indicating like parts throughout the several views Figure l isa plan view of a part of the human jaw, showing one of my devicesapplied in working position to accomplish one class of movements oradjustments of the teeth. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in plan andpartlyin horizontal section, showing the regulating device illustratedin Fig. it removed from working position. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 aredetail views in perspective, showing the parts of the regulating deviceillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 separated from each other.

1 indicates the human jaw.

2 indicates teeth-bands, which are made of different sizes to fitdifferent teeth and are cut or split, so that they may be readily placedin working position on the teeth. At their sectioned ends theteeth-bands 2 are provided with small outwardly-projecting buttons orheaded studs 3. When the bands 2 are placed around the teeth, thebuttons 3 will project outward, and the bands may be very firmly securedto the teeth by means of a fine wire or metallic thread at, which iswound over said buttons 3 in such a manner as to draw the 8 extend inaxial line with each other and provided with'side openings 9, throughwhich one of the rod portions of the device may be laterally insertedand removed, as will be hereinafter fully explained.

10 indicates a bifurcated head which is provided with a projecting rodor stem 11 and with a fixed sleeve or collar 12, surrounding said rod 11at its junction with said head. From the sleeve or collar 1:? a flange13 projects in a radial direction. The end of the rod 11 isscrew-threaded, and on this screw-threaded end a nut 14:, which isprovided with a sleeve extension 15, works with screw-threadedengagement.

16 and 17 indicate a pair of tension-rods which are adapted to beconnected together and extended or contracted by means of a sheath ortube 18, which engages said rods, one with a left-hand and the otherwith a righthand screw. The rod 16 is provided at its outer ends with aspherical head or ball 19, which is adapted to fit the seat or socketformed by the cap 6 and stud 5. The rod 17 is provided at its outer endwith a T-shaped head 20, which is preferably slightly flattened. Theears or prongs of the bifurcated head 10 are perforated by seats 2] oneof which seats is open at one side through a slot 22.

When the device just described is applied in working position, asillustrated in Fig. 1, the pair of bands 2 must first be secured to theteeth in the manner illustrated and already described. The parts 16, 17,and 18 should be screwed together, and the ballend 19 of the rod 16should be secured by the socket or cap 6. The T-shaped head 20 of therod 17 should also be placed in working position within the seats orperforations 21 of the bifurcated head 10. This may be done when the rod17 is turned in radial line with the slot 22 simply by placing said head20 in the upper seat or perforation 21, then press ing said rod 17laterally through said slot :22, and then turning the said rod betweenthe ears of said head 10. The head 10 and rod 11 may be secured to thelugs 7 of the other tooth-band simply by passing the rod 11 laterallythrough the slots 9, then by a slight endwise movement of the partsinserting the sleeve or shoulder 12 and flange 13 into the socket 8 andnotch 9, and then after this is done by screwing the nut 1a inward, sothat its sleeve 15 is forced into the adjacent seat or socket 8.

WVith this device as applied in Fig. 1 a tooth may be either pushed orpulled into proper position simply by turning the screwthreaded sleeveor sheath 18 in one direction or the other. If it is desired to rotatethe tooth at the same time that it is drawn or pushed into alinement,this may be done by locating the ball-joint 6 19 to one side of thetooth, so that the pushing or drawing strain will produce a twist ortorsion on the said tooth.

The device is practically universal in its actionthat is, may be appliedat practically any angle to a tooth and between any two teeth whichstand on opposite sides of the arc. This is due to the fact that theT-head 20 of the rod 17 is pivotally connected to the bifurcated head10, and that the rod 16 is also pivotally connected to the adjacent band2.

To remove the teeth-bands 2, it is only necessary to cut or unwind thewire or thread 4. The expression, as herein used, that the split ends ofthe teeth-bands are drawn together or held together by the wire threadis not intended to convey the idea that the said ends are drawn or heldin contact with eath other, but simply that the tension of the said wiretends to draw the said ends together and to there hold the same. Invirtue of this form of connection any given band or any size of band iscapable of a large range or variation in its use, or, in other words,may be applied to teeth which vary considerably in size.

From the above description it will be seen that my improved regulatingdevices may be setup or the parts put together for use without the useof solder and without being heated. This is important, inasmuch asheating will tarnish or remove the gold or other plating with which theparts of the device are usually covered. Again, all of the parts of myimproved devices may be disconnected and removed from the patientwithout cutting or in any wise distorting the parts of the regulatingdevices proper. Hence the said devices may be used over and overindefinitely.

\Vhere one tooth is to be used as an anchorage and another is to bedrawn or pushed into alinement, it is of the utmost importance that thejoints of the regulating device should be such that the anchor-toothcannot tilt, while the tooth'which is to be moved may freely tilt. Fromthe foregoing it is obvious that I accomplish these actions. Forinstance,

in the device illustrated the ball-and-socket joint 6 19 will permit thetooth which is to be alined to tilt, while the engagement of the T- head20 with the bifurcated head 10 will prevent the anchor-tooth fromtilting or tipping sidewise. Y

The small buttons 8 are the only projections which engage the lips ofthe patient, and hence do not perceptibly encumber or disfigure themouth. The great importance of these points will be readily understoodand appreciated by all practical dentists.

It will of course be understood that various alterations in the specificdetails of construction above described may be made without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

1. In a device for regulating teeth, a split tooth-band provided at itsends with means for applying a thread thereto, in combination with athread applied to said ends of the tooth-band, to secure the same to thetooth, substantially as described.

2. In a device for regulating teeth, a split tooth-band provided at itsends with buttons or headed projections, in combination with a wirethread wrapped over said buttons or headed projections, to secure saidband to the tooth, substantially as described.

3. In a device for regulating teeth, a joint or connection between twoparts of the device, consisting of a bifurcated head on one of saidparts, provided with perforations or seats, and a slot opening into oneof said seats, and the T-shaped head on the other of said parts to becoupled, for cooperation with said seats and slot, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with a tooth-band provided with apair of lugs 7 withseats or socket 8 and slot 9, of a rod adapted to be inserted laterallythrough said slot 9, a pair of sleeve or shoulder portions 'on said rodadapted to be inserted into said seats 8 by endwise movement, at leastone of which sleeves or shoulders is mounted for endwise movement onsaid rod, and means for securing one end of said rod directly orindirectly to the teeth or tooth, substantially as described.

5. In a device for regulating teeth, a balland-socket joint connectingtwo parts of the device, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

6. In a device for regulating teeth, the combination with a tooth-bandprovided with a of a head or lug on one of the parts to be In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature coupled, provided with a perforation orseat in presence of two witnesses.

with lateral entrance thereto, and a head or w T lateral projection onthe other part to be MILAND KLAPP' 5 coupled adapted to be inserted intosaid per- Nitnesses:

foration 01' seat by a, lateral movement, sub- BESSIE B. NELSON,

stantially as described. F- D. MERCHANT.

